March 17
Events * 45 BC - In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. * 180 - Marcus Aurelius dies. Commodus is now the only emperor. * 624 - Muhammad wins a key victory over his Meccan adversaries in the Battle of Badr. * 1337 - Edward is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy made in England. * 1577 - The Cathay Company is formed to send Martin Frobisher back to the New World for more gold. * 1756 - St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in New York City for the first time (at the Crown and Thistle Tavern). * 1776 - American Revolution: British forces evacuate Boston after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery overlooking the city. * 1805 - The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King. * 1845 - The rubber band is patented. * 1861 - The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed. * 1886 - Carrollton Massacre: 20 African Americans are killed in Mississippi. * 1891 - The British steamship [[Wikipedia:SS Utopia|SS Utopia]] sinks off the coast of Gibraltar, killing 574. * 1901 - A showing of 71 Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, creates a sensation. * 1906 - The Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity is founded at Miami University in Oxford. * 1910 - Luther Gulick and his wife Charlotte found Camp Fire Girls (now Camp Fire USA) (formally announced in 1912). * 1913 - The Uruguayan Air Force is founded. * 1917 - Delta Phi Epsilon is founded at New York University Law School. * 1921 - The Second Republic of Poland adopts the March Constitution. * 1931 - Nevada legalizes gambling. * 1939 - Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Nanchang between the Kuomintang and the Japanese breaks out. * 1941 - In Washington, the National Gallery of Art is officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. * 1942 - Holocaust: The first Jews from the Lviv Ghetto (western Ukraine) are gassed at the Belzec death camp (eastern Poland). * 1945 - The strategically important captured railway Bridge at Remagen, having sped the end of WW-II, but ironically no longer taking artillery fire, collapses ten days into the battle rendering the lodgement on the Germany bank of the Rhine dependent entirely on pontoon bridges. * 1948 - Benelux, France, and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the NATO Agreement. * 1950 - University of California researchers announce the creation of element 98, which they name "Californium". * 1958 - The United States launches the Vanguard 1 satellite. * 1959 - Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India. * 1960 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion. * 1966 - Off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, the ''Alvin'' submarine finds a missing American hydrogen bomb. * 1969 - Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel. * 1970 - My Lai massacre: The United States Army charges 14 officers with suppressing information related to the incident. * 1973 - The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family. * 1973 - Pink Floyd releases their landmark album Dark Side of the Moon. * 1979 - The Penmanshiel Tunnel collapses during engineering works, killing two workers. * 1985 - Serial killer Richard Ramirez, the "Night Stalker", commits his first two murders in Los Angeles, California murder spree. * 1988 - A Colombian Boeing 727 jetliner, Avianca Flight 410, crashes into a mountainside near the Venezuelan border killing 143. * 1992 - A suicide car-bomb kills 29 and injures 242 at the Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires, Argentina. * 2003 - British Cabinet Minister Robin Cook, resigns over government plans for war with Iraq. * 2004 - Massive unrest in Kosovo results in more than 22 killed, 200 wounded, and the destruction of 35 Serb Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and two mosques in Belgrade and Nis. Births * 1231 - Emperor Shijō of Japan (d. 1242) * 1473 - King James IV of Scotland (d. 1513) * 1628 - François Girardon, French sculptor (d. 1715) * 1676 - Thomas Boston, Scottish church leader (d. 1732) * 1725 - Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-born American military and political leader (d. 1806) * 1777 - Roger Brooke Taney, 5th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (d. 1864) * 1780 - Thomas Chalmers, Scottish pastor, social reformer, author, and scientist (d. 1847) * 1787 - Edmund Kean, English actor (d. 1833) * 1804 - Jim Bridger, American trapper and explorer (d. 1881) * 1820 - Jean Ingelow, English poet (d. 1897) * 1834 - Gottlieb Daimler, German engineer and inventor (d. 1900) * 1846 - Kate Greenaway, English children's author and illustrator (d. 1901) * 1856 - Mikhail Vrubel, Russian painter (d. 1910) * 1862 - Silvio Gesell, Belgian economist (d. 1930) * 1866 - Pierce Butler, Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (d. 1939) * 1870 - Horace Donisthorpe, British entomologist (d. 1951) * 1880 - Sir Patrick Hastings, British barrister (d. 1952) * 1881 - Walter Rudolf Hess, Swiss physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973) * 1883 - Urmuz, Romanian writer (d. 1923) * 1884 - Alcide Nunez, American jazz clarinetist (d. 1934) * 1886 - Princess Patricia of Connaught, British princess (d. 1974) * 1888 - Paul Ramadier, French politician (d. 1961) * 1892 - Benjamin Drake Van Wissen, Australian Engineer (d. 1984) * 1894 - Paul Green, American writer (d. 1981) * 1901 - Alfred Newman, American film composer (d. 1970) * 1902 - Bobby Jones, American golfer (d. 1971) * 1907 - Sonny Werblin, former owner of the New York Jets (d. 1991) * 1908 - Brigitte Helm, German actress (d. 1996) * 1912 - Bayard Rustin, American civil rights activist (d. 1987) * 1914 - Sammy Baugh, American football player * 1915 - Henry Bumstead, American art director (d. 2006) * 1916 - Ray Ellington, British singer (d. 1985) * 1919 - Nat King Cole, American singer (d. 1965) * 1922 - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Founding Leader of Bangladesh (d. 1975) * 1925 - Gabriele Ferzetti, Italian film and stage actor * 1926 - Siegfried Lenz, German writer * 1928 - William John McKeag, Canadian politician (d. 2007) * 1930 - James Irwin, American astronaut (d. 1991) * 1931 - David Peakall, British scientist (d. 2001) * 1936 - Ladislav Kupkovic, Slovakian composer * 1936 - Ken Mattingly, American astronaut * 1937 - Adam Wade, American singer and actor * 1938 - Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-born dancer and choreographer (d. 1993) * 1938 - Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien, Northern Irish clergyman * 1939 - Jim Gary, American sculptor (d. 2006) * 1939 - Robin Knox-Johnston, British Yachtsman * 1940 - Mark White, American politician * 1941 - Paul Kantner, American musician (Jefferson Airplane) * 1942 - John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer (d. 1994) * 1942 - Dimitris Poulikakos, Greek composer, singer and actor * 1944 - Pattie Boyd, British photographer and model * 1944 - Cito Gaston, American baseball player and manager * 1944 - John Sebastian, American singer and songwriter * 1945 - Elis Regina, Brazilian singer (d. 1982) * 1945 - Michael Hayden, General USAF, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency * 1945 - Katri Helena, Finnish singer * 1947 - James Morrow, American author * 1947 - Jan Andersson, Swedish politician * 1947 - Yury Chernavsky, Russian-born Composer and Producer * 1948 - William Gibson, American writer * 1948 - Alex MacDonald, Scottish Footballer and football manager * 1949 - Patrick Duffy, American actor * 1949 - Pat Rice, Northern Irish footballer and football manager * 1949 - Daniel Lavoie, French Canadian singer and songwriter * 1950 - Patrick Adams, American record producer and songwriter * 1951 - Donald Findlay, Scottish lawyer * 1951 - Scott Gorham, American musician (Thin Lizzy) * 1951 - Kurt Russell, American actor * 1951 - Craig Ramsay, Canadian ice hockey player * 1952 - Nikos Xydakis, Greek musician and composer * 1953 - Filemon Lagman, Filipino communist revolutionary (d. 2001) * 1953 - Chuck Muncie, American former football running back * 1954 - Lesley-Anne Down, English actress * 1955 - Cynthia McKinney, American politician * 1955 - Gary Sinise, American actor * 1956 - Patrick McDonnell, American cartoonist * 1957 - Mal Donaghy, Northern Irish footballer * 1957 - Michael Kelly, American journalist (d. 2003) * 1958 - Pat Bolland, Canadian Broadcaster * 1959 - Danny Ainge, American basketball player and coach * 1961 - Casey Siemaszko, American actor * 1961 - Dana Reeve, American actress and activist (d. 2006) * 1961 - Andrew Paul, English actor * 1962 - Clare Grogan, Scottish actress-singer * 1962 - Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, Dutch politician * 1963 - Nick Peros, Canadian composer * 1964 - Rob Lowe, American actor * 1964 - Lee Dixon, English footballer * 1964 - Jacques Songo'o, Cameroonian footballer * 1966 - Jeremy Sheffield, English actor * 1967 - Billy Corgan, American musician (The Smashing Pumpkins) * 1967 - Barry Minkow, American religious leader and ex-convict (fraud) * 1969 - Mathew St. Patrick, American actor * 1970 - Yanic Truesdale, Canadian actor * 1971 - Bill Mueller, American baseball player * 1972 - Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian musician * 1972 - Marc Gunn, poet, podcaster, and Celtic musician (Brobdingnagian Bards) * 1972 - Mia Hamm, American soccer player * 1973 - Rico Blanco, Filipino singer (Rivermaya) * 1973 - Caroline Corr, Irish singer and musician * 1975 - Justin Hawkins, British singer (The Darkness) * 1975 - Andrew "Test" Martin, Canadian professional wrestler * 1975 - Natalie Zea, American actress * 1976 - Stephen Gately, Irish singer, musician, and actor (Boyzone) * 1976 - Brittany Daniel, American actress * 1976 - Cynthia Daniel, American actress and photographer * 1976 - Álvaro Recoba, Uruguayan footballer * 1976 - Scott Downs, American baseball player * 1979 - Andrew Ference, Canadian ice hockey player * 1979 - Samoa Joe, Samoan professional wrestler * 1979 - Stormy Daniels, American pornographic actress * 1981 - Kyle Korver, American Basketball Player * 1982 - Steven Pienaar, South African footballer * 1986 - Olesya Rulin, American actress * 1988 - Fraser Forster, English footballer * 1993 - Julia Winter, English actress Deaths * 45 BC - Titus Labienus, Roman leader * 45 BC - Gnaeus Pompeius, the Younger, Roman general * 180 - Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor (b. 121) * 493 - Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland * 659 - Gertrude of Nivelles, Belgian abbess * 1040 - Harold Harefoot, King of England * 1058 - King Lulach I of Scotland * 1199 - Jocelin, bishop of Glasgow * 1272 - Emperor Go-Saga of Japan (b. 1220) * 1425 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (b. 1407) * 1516 - Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence (b. 1478) * 1565 - Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian (b. 1500) * 1640 - Philip Massinger, English dramatist (b. 1583) * 1649 - Gabriel Lallemant, French Jesuit missionary, one of the Canadian Martyrs (b. 1610) * 1680 - François de La Rochefoucauld, French writer (b. 1613) * 1704 - Menno van Coehoorn, Dutch military engineer (b. 1641) * 1713 - Juraj Jánošík, famous Slovak outlaw [[1688]) * 1715 - Gilbert Burnet, Scottish Bishop of Salisbury (b. 1643) * 1741 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet (b. 1671) * 1764 - George Parker, English astronomer * 1782 - Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-born mathematician (b. 1700) * 1830 - Laurent, French marshal (b. 1764) * 1846 - Friedrich Bessel, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1784) * 1849 - William II of the Netherlands (b. 1792) * 1853 - Christian Doppler, Austrian physician and mathematician (b. 1803) * 1875 - Ferdinand Laub, Czech violinist (b. 1832) * 1893 - Jules Ferry, French statesman (b. 1832) * 1912 - Lawrence Oates, English army officer (b. 1880) * 1917 - Franz Brentano, German philosopher and psychologist (b. 1838) * 1926 - Aleksei Brusilov, Russian general (b. 1853) * 1937 - Austen Chamberlain, English statesman, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1863) * 1941 - Marguerite Nichols, American actress (b. 1895) * 1949 - Aleksandra Ekster, Russian painter (b. 1882) * 1956 - Fred Allen, American actor and comedian (b. 1894) * 1956 - Irene Joliot-Curie, French physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1897) * 1957 - Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines (b. 1907) * 1961 - Susanna M. Salter, Mayor of Argonia, Kansas (b. 1860) * 1965 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American football coach, player, and innovator (b. 1862) * 1974 - Louis Kahn, American architect * 1976 - Luchino Visconti, Italian director (b. 1906) * 1981 - Paul Dean, American baseball player (b. 1913) * 1983 - Haldan Keffer Hartline, American physiologist, Nobel laureate (b. 1903) * 1987 - Santo Trafficante, American gangster (b. 1914) * 1988 - Nikolas Asimos, Greek counter-culture composer and singer (b. 1949) * 1989 - Merritt Butrick, American actor (b. 1959) * 1990 - Capucine, French actress (b. 1931) * 1990 - Ric Grech, British bass player (Blind Faith - Traffic) (b. 1946) * 1993 - Helen Hayes, American actress (b. 1900) * 1995 - Ronnie Kray, British gangster (b. 1933) * 1995 - Rick Aviles, American actor (b. 1952) * 1996 - René Clément, French film director and screenwriter (b. 1913) * 1996 - Terry Stafford, American singer (b. 1941) * 1999 - Ernest Gold, Austrian composer (b. 1921) * 1999 - Rod Hull, British comedian (b. 1936) * 2002 - Rosetta LeNoire, American actress (b. 1911) * 2002 - Pat Weaver, American broadcast executive (b. 1908) * 2004 - J. J. Jackson, American television personality (b. 1941) * 2005 - George F. Kennan, American Cold War strategist and historian (b. 1904) * 2005 - Andre Norton, American writer (b. 1912) * 2006 - Bob Blue, American singer/songwriter (b. 1948) * 2006 - Oleg Cassini, American fashion designer (b. 1913) * 2006 - Ray Meyer, American basketball coach (b. 1913) * 2006 - Bob Papenbrook, American voice actor (b. 1955) * 2007 - John Backus, American computer scientist (b. 1924) * 2007 - Roger Bennett, American Southern Gospel performer (b. 1959) Holidays and observances * Ancient Latvia - Kustonu Diena (return of the larks) observed * Feast day of St Patrick: a public holiday in Ireland (National feast) and Montserrat, widely celebrated in North America and worldwide (see St. Patrick's Day) * Boston - Evacuation Day * Ancient Rome - the second day of the Bacchanalia in honor of Bacchus * Ancient Rome - the Liberalia in honor of Liber Other liturgical feasts * St. Agricola * St. Joseph of Arimathea * Saint Alexius External links * BBC: On This Day * * On This Day in Canada ---- Category:March